Cherry Blossoms

He is silence.

The wind whispers, the wind howls, it screams... but he is silence. He is the very definition of the world, and while the man who throws open his door knows this better than most, he has come for answers. He has come, perhaps, for some kind of retribution. For his sword is drawn, and it glints in the pale filter of moonlight that slants in behind him. Cherry blossoms swirl and dance behind him, fragrant and softly pretty in the night-glow... but his eyes are trained on the rigid back of his Captain. It is his nature to be single-minded, and while the object of this obsessive power struggle has now changed, he will confront it with little to no fear. For he is Abarai Renji, and though the person he now looks upon is strong, far stronger than Renji will ever hope to be; he is determined. And determination, like curiosity, accounts for many foolish acts. But as the latter, it can sometimes cause immeasurable satisfaction.

Or it will be the death of you.

His zanpakutoh, Zabimaru, is jagged; looking almost like a key. And he wishes to pierce the heart and unlock it; the heart within this still immobile man who sits slightly more then fifteen feet before him. The strands of his black hair catch the wind and flutter, lumped together awkwardly with the clips locked around them. One slender hand raises, and Renji pauses in his forward stride, his zanpakutoh held at the ready before him, his feet spread slightly apart as to give him more agility and reflex. He understands, on some level of his mind that was all rhyme and reason, that he would never be fast enough. That if there were to be a battle; a true battle that tested both ability and speed he would falter and crumble uselessly.

And yet, he pauses, but he does not back down.

This elevated hand with its slim and slightly spaced fingers begins to beckon him forward; digits curling down in a come-hither motion that makes Renji more than a little wary. His red hair trails down his naked back, and the night-lamp that is the moon catches along the natural hollows and valleys of his body; it touches his tattoos and gives them almost insubstantial meaning. They are not the true focus of him however, his ice-dagger eyes are what catches all the attention now, and they are penetrating the hand that has raised and urged him nearer.

Paper is rustled, and Kuchiki Byakuya, who he has come to question, who's life he intends to steal, is behaving as if this is a typical meeting with his Vice-Captain. As if Renji can be dealt with as backhandedly as always. If you toss the boy a small treat of praise, or perhaps a bit of disciplinary order, Byakuya perhaps believes he will be a faithful pet. Renji sneers and clutches Zabimaru tight enough to bruise his palms. He does not feel this; all he feels are the fluttering wings of rage that spread and begin to flap restlessly within him.

"I did not ask you to come here," Byakuya says tonelessly, "You've disobeyed me. I had you imprisoned. This will not do."

"Why?," Renji whispers, for it is all his outrage and bitter anger allows him, "Why the hell did you do that to me? I was fighting for you, wasn't I? I took on the ryoka..."

"And lost," Byakuya says as coldly and emotionlessly as always; and he lowers his raised hand to rest on the desk before him. There is no more for him to say on the matter, truly. Abarai Renji was pitifully disposable. He had failed to do his duty; and more than just failure at the hands of an amateur and lacking shinigami... Renji had not fought for his Captain. He had fought for the honor and life of Byakuya's sister. Such an act was in direct defiance. And so he had been tossed away as trash would when you no longer wish to smell or view it.

Renji takes a tentative step forward, and Zabimaru is angled at the back of Byakuya's slightly lowered head. He does not see the slight tinge of a smirk on his Captain's face, or how his hidden hand tightens on the hilt of his own zanpakutoh. All he knows is that he was betrayed by the one he served; by the man he had admired.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is strong," Renji states with no hesitance or shame, "He's one hell of a fighter, Byakuya. He's going to find you, and when he does, he's going to win." His Captain offers a rare chuckle, and brushes the hand that is not locked on his weapon through the loose strands he possesses. There is movement from him as he finds his feet, and he is standing before Renji can thrust with his readied blade. There is no need to worry, however, for Byakuya keeps his back to his subordinate, and lays his zanpakutoh to the table before him. Renji cocks an eyebrow, and forces his feet to remain still. "Why not come at me then?," he questions, and he hates the faint undertone of fear and reluctance he hears there. "Why did you drop Senbonzaku?"

"I do not need it. You are nothing."

"The hell you say!," Renji shouts in obvious frustration, "You're a fucking liar, and a fool!"

Byakuya is silent. Once again, the wind swirls flower petals that flit and twirl in pink and white. Renji knows not why his Captain is underestimating him, but the time for talking is finished. Even in this state of prideful and indignant anger, Renji is glad that weapon is lowered. His mind is not clouded and hazed with fury quite so strongly that he has forgotten the power possessed by the man before him; nor the weapon within his skilled hand. A stretch of silence greets them then; tense and nerve wracking for the red head, and for his Captain, merely commonplace. Byakuya turns then, in a sweep of his black robe, and the moon that lights up Renji's toned body is drunken by these pretty orbs, making them shimmer as diamonds will. And like those gems, they are almost painstakingly gorgeous and rich; and Renji is momentarily captivated by his beauty. Kuchiki Byakuya possesses an almost other-wordly grace and charm within him; something that lights him up, even without the pale and too bright spotlight of the moon. His somber face looks to be chiseled by angels; angels who know the slight curves a man must possess; who capture the strength and prominent features, but have forgotten to instill within its shell the compassion, humor, and sorrow that make faces even more breath-taking.

It is the face of a demon, truly; but Renji is spellbound.

Byakuya blinks as if to clear his eyes, and a look of shock crosses his features. It is oddly comical on his bland face, but understandable. He has never seen Renji this way; with his red hair laying across his masculine and broad shoulders, strands tickling along the gentle ridge of his collarbone in a crimson sweep. His eyes are hot and wild, a look Byakuya 'does' know well. But then... he has never in all his life seen Abarai Renji look so fundamentally and astoundingly sexy in his fury. Byakuya curses himself inwardly, and forces his look of surprise to dissipate before his Vice-Captain can notice.

"A fool? I did not allow a ryoka to best me. I did not collapse to the ground bloody and humiliated. I did not shake and shiver in my bed for days in pain and worthlessness. If there is a fool here; it is you."
This cuts him, and Renji hates how he is so wounded. Hates how this man knows how to pierce and dice his heart. Renji cannot help himself, and he drops his eyes momentarily. Zabimaru shakes in one fist; and he remembers how he was bound and imprisoned. Lying there in sweating, stinking pain. And how had Byakuya known of his tremors? How had he known that Renji had nearly sobbed in pain, defeat and betrayal?

"You came to see me," the red head says in an accusation, "Did you not... Captain?"

Byakuya stares blankly at his Lieutenant, eyes no longer absorbing the moonlight. They are completely untouched by anything now; though Renji thinks he sees some kind of pity lurking there. Surely this isn't so, however; when a man shows so little compassion towards the death of his own sister, he will not extend it to a man who not only stands against him now, but failed him when his strength was needed. Still, Byakuya says nothing, he makes no stand in his defense, he offers no tentative affirmation. As always, he merely is all he is; silence.

Renji steps nearer, Zabimaru pointing away from the slim man before him. Why is he now so ready to drp his sword and admit defeat? Nothing more than bitter words had been spoken... and yet that pity lingered still. It was unmistakable now. And Renji was surprised to feel his heart flutter dangerously within him. This radiated waves of heat through his body, making even the tips of his fingers tingle in anticipation. Byakuya, unusual for him, took a cautious step back; the firm swell of his bottom pressing to the mahogany desk behind him. His hand finds the hilt of his zanpakutoh, clutching it firmly and bringing it forward. Faster than he expected, Renji's free hand shot forward and grabbed his skinny wrist, squeezing roughly and making his fingers falter. Byakuya snaps his eyes to his subordinate, feeling fingers grinding the bones of his wrist; and Byakuya winces and clenches his jaw to a cry of pain. This will not do at all; Renji will not be allowed to touch him in this manner.

"Stand down," Byakuya says with a trace of fury and bewilderment lurking, "That is an order direct from your Captain, Abarai Renj--"

The fingers that grip him soften, and Byakuya watches as Zabimaru falls to the floor in a clatter of metal and a flash of steel. His eyes do not witness this, as they are locked onto Renji's face, which is oddly caring despite his still bitterly enraged eyes. Byakuya does not understand why he has allowed him to get so close, nor why he stands there and lets Renji close the gap between them. Their hips are perfectly aligned, and he can feel the warm rush of breath from between Renji's parted lips; washing over the smooth jut of his chin, causing his own soft and full lips to tingle from heat.

"Stand down," Byakuya once more orders, and he has lost much of his stern decorum, "Stand down and desist this at once."

"Why?," Renji questions, and Byakuya cannot stifle his gasp of surprise and intrigue as Renji presses nearer, their hips rocking together in an almost rhythmic and sexual dance. Byakuya nibbles on his lower lip, tucking the flesh within his mouth as he wills his hidden organ not to stiffen with this teasing. It is useless, however, as he becomes almost painfully hard and pushes with his own slender hips, making his arousal known. Renji sighs, and lays his face to the nape of Byakuya's long, graceful neck. He breathes in his scent, and smells cherry blossoms along with the clean, slightly acrid, smell of his flesh. This is intoxicating, and soon they are both hard and ready, and Renji's lips are locking onto his fresh skin and suckling gently. Byakuya feels his eyelids flutter, and lower with only dim awareness. All within him there is nothing but resistance... but he does not push the man away. All he can do is stand there as his flesh is bruised by tugging teeth, clamped and rolled between a closing jaw. There is no threat strong enough to stop the red-haired "assassin" now, and Byakuya cannot deny how strongly he enjoys this rocking of their thick cocks against one another.

A shiver races up and down his spine, and his soft and pale skin prickles sensuously with goosebumps. His nipples harden and burn, tingling with a need they have never known. Perhaps sensing this, Renji maneuvers a hand within his Captain's robe and pinches this stiff peak, rolling it between thumb and forefinger with hard and merciless force. Byakuya gasps and shoves his hips with deeper passion, black head tipping back and giving more landscape for Renji to cover. The man wastes no time, and his lips are soon running along what is displayed to him. So feminine and gentle, and Renji tastes his sweetness. Soon, Byakuya's sash is undone, slipping to the floor in a silent wave of black fabric. His robe is lowered on his delicate shoulders, and it is here that a hand darts out to grab the hilt of his zanpakutoh. Renji does not move; he does not run nor back away. He raises a hand up and down Byakuya's side, brushing across the hairs that have raised across him.

Byakuya swallows and hears a click in his throat, and he holds out his hilt and point his blade towards Renji. His Vice-Captain lays his head to Byakuya's body, resting a cheek to his chest, along the now naked ridge of his collarbone. "Will you?," Renji asks, "Will you, Byakuya?"

There is a moment of tense and frightening indecision. There is a long and almost heartbreaking silence between them in which Renji believes Byakuya will correct him in the most strict manner. Instead, his fingers open, and Senbonzaku tumbles to the ground.

They both seem to release their held breath, and Renji's caressing hand dips low to grab his still clothed bottom, fingers kneading, spreading, and digging. Byakuya is eager to be free of his robe now, as even the loose and flowing fabric feels tight and warm on his pulsing and throbbing body. Renji too is ready to see all that his Captain has to offer and he lowers the robe lower on his slim frame, and when he steps back slightly to view Byakuya's firm, toned, and gently delicate body, his cock gives a painful twitch and he feels moisture touch his own fluttering robe. The wind gusts, and it chills the sweat on his half naked body.

Byakuya watches a dribble of perspiration slid across the black arc of one tattoo, over the large swell of his impressive pec, across the hard and slightly dark flesh of his areola, and enticing across the stiffened peak of his nipple. Byakuya sighs in anticipation and near torture, and places his tender body tight to the strong and rugged man before him. He raises himself onto the balls of his pretty feet, and allows their lips to brush together in a soft and bittersweet kiss. In this brief joining of their lips, Byakuya feels his usual still and stoic heart rampage with heat, and quicken enough to make him feel faint. Never had he foreseen this... but he is nearly weakened by Renji's taste, and he craves more.

"Renji," Byakuya says, and his voice is oddly gentle, "The orders were to put you in prison. I was angry with you for being hurt. You could have died with that silly ryoka. And what then? You really are the only one close to me."

This is nearly funny, if not for its horrible depth of sorrow. Renji cups Byakuya's face in one roughened hand, and turns this up into the moonlight. Once more, he is awed at the beauty there, enhanced by the touch of deep emotion in his big and spell-binding eyes. How could Renji know him best, when Byakuya is a mystery to him still. A puzzle he has gathered pieces for, but always when he goes to place them accordingly, they do not fit as he attempts to make them. They are never enough and they never come together into completion. Kuchiki Byakuya is shadowy, secret, and almost meanly closed to him. And yet, this confession makes sense, for no other had cared enough to even try to learn the sixth squad Captain.

"Is that why I was imprisoned? You were worried for me?"

There is no answer; and then perhaps there is. For those gorgeous orbs flick away from him, and they do not drink the moonlight now; for they are half-lidded and nearly weary. And the heart that has quickened within Renji's rib-cage stills and freezes as he tracks a single tear that slips silently down Byakuya's cheek. It glimmers for a moment, hung suspended on his chin, and then falls onto his naked and hitching chest. Renji brushes a thumb across this liquid, and presses his lips to the residue of moisture it has left on that smooth, clear cheek.

"Don't," Renji says gently, "What can I do for ya, huh? Don't do that." There is something close to love in his voice, and his heart both breaks and swells as Byakuya embraces him, and presses his wet face into the crook formed between Renji's neck and masculine shoulder.

"Make love to me," the Captain says to him, and Renji is soon searching for his lips and kissing him with strong and burning passion. His tongue penetrates into the slick prisonous confines of his mouth; and Renji's heart grows and grows until it nearly snaps. They share a thick exchange of saliva as their tongues dance across the smooth surfaces, wrapping, sucking, lapping.

Renji obeys his Captain; as always.

*****
Part 2 soon! ^_^